Travel Nurse Rental Makeover

My mom’s friend inherited a one bedroom condo from her dad when he passed away. The condo is completely paid off and it had been sitting empty for two years. It’s located within walking distance to the medical district here in San Antonio and I’m helping her turn it into a travel nurse rental where she will be able to make at least $1400/month.
⁣(If you’re curious about Travel Nurse rentals, I have 3 Youtube videos on how to get started here.)

I absolutely LOVE decorating, especially when the spaces are going to earn rental income…but this was one of the most challenging projects! The budget definitely put me to the test.

I had a budget of $1500 and I had to get the following:

• a Sofa
• Coffee Table
• 2 Barstools
• Headboard
• Nightstand
• Accent chair
• Desk + chair
• 2 rugs
• Sheets, pillows, comforter
• Decor

Y’all. Now you know that Sofas alone normally cost at least $600 and it’s hard to find a quality one in that price range. And don’t get me started on the price of rugs! You can’t find a large rug for less than $250 these days. HOW SWAY! Why are rugs so expensive! #QuestionsThatNeedAnswers

So, just the sofa and the rugs alone were going to account for all of my budget so I had to work hard to find some deals. Usually when I’m shopping on a budget I head straight to Goodwill, the Free section on Craigslist, Fb marketplace or Freecycle, but my searches there kept coming up short! When I lived in DC, I used to find some of the BEST stuff on those sites! Here in San Antonio…not so much…but I made it work y’all! (Keep reading to see if I was able to stay in budget!)

Here is a Before photo of the bedroom:

One of the other things I had to consider with this space was the color of the walls and floors, plus the lack of natural light. The walls are blue and the floor tile is a gray and brown pattern. Every time I saw some bold colors I wanted to incorporate it just didn’t work with the existing floor and wall colors. If I had an unlimited budget, I would have painted the walls white and painted a black accent wall in the bedroom! Instead, I decided to stick with light, neutral furniture to brighten up the space.

>>> Full Before video here. <<<

Ready for the After photos? (Scroll to the end for links to most of the items pictured)

Wondering how this furniture is going stay clean? This stuff is the Real MVP!

I went over the budget by $200 and I’m still on the hunt for a coffee table, but the owner of the condo absolutely loves the space and doesn’t mind that we spent more than intended because she knows she will make it back within a few months! Her only expenses on this condo are condo fees, utilities, wifi and property taxes- all the rest is profit!

Ready to shop? Here are the links to almost all of the items pictured. I wasn’t able to find links for the Nightstand, Full Length Mirror nor the Barstools because those were purchased at Home Goods.

Happy Shopping! Lamp | Headboard  | Desk | Desk Chair | Round Mirror | Accent Chair | Comforter Set | Sofa was from Sam’s Club but I can’t find a link. It was only $400! | Amazon Short Term Rental List

Here’s a fun before and after Reel, and I’ll also be doing a full walkthrough on Youtube soon! I’ll walk through each room and show you what we keep stocked in the travel nurse rental to make the accommodations comfortable! Subscribe here so you don’t miss it.